I know this won't seem like much from a person not involved with either company in any way, but I tell you now that the Pocketbook brand will only get stronger and better from this...remember who's name is on the logo in big letters...it is they who are the major player here anyone can assemble hardware, the magic is in the software and how it gets the most out of the hardware. It's not like the development is suddenly going to be farmed out to some hack company in India (I have never come across a company that did not end up spending 10x what doing the coding in house would have cost to begin with, just to fix everything busted in the software they off-shored to India software companies.) Those "Wacky Guys in Kiev" are something special in developers...getting every bit of "oomph" out of the hardware they can.

It is the brand-x devices who have shown no ability to build software for the hardware provided or order just 500 pcs. world wide every other month that will go away/elsewhere or be folded into other brands. For example Astak and Bebook could combine (just pulling names out of thin air here as examples only) to form something that is less dysfunctional than they are separately and come out on the other side stronger and far more able to compete in the market place. And they will have access, for a price, to the expertise of Pocketbooks developers and designers along side Netronix hardware magic. Just no more low end components or firmware except from those brands nobody wants anything to do with who will be pushed off to some small factory who is willing to handle lesser clients using whatever cheap hardware is left from the big factory and sold just to make room for new better components. Again this happens all the time...really, it will be a HUGE & GREAT thing for Pocketbook users. It sure as heck is not stopping me from buying mine soon as possible. And I have my eyeball open to see the large format device they are bound to come out with, you know the one we saw only a glimpse of in passing during his original Pocketbook video last year?

I hope you're right. As I said, my limited use of the PB360 makes me a big fan (even bigger than before I bought it) so I'm hoping for the best. A little time will tell.

Actually Netronix is a part owner of Astak with less than 50% stake. It is also a bit like a joint venture. I doubt if that is going away soon. They shared the same booth at CES.

Dale

There is more to it but that will come out over time obviously. Changes will be happening but I don't think any of the current devices are going to just be orphaned. Pocketbook is too ethical a company for such behavior. In fact I would expect the firmware for the current devices to, well, actually work soon. What a novel ideal, huh?

it would, however be nice to see some of the design features on the Astak devices added to some future PB device. I actually think the "grippy" coating is a good idea, but only if it's far more rugged than the current version that seems akin to a kid with a can of spray Krylon at 3ft away... I also like the lanyard post, the scroll wheel is nice but it belongs on the LEFT SIDE not the right side since most people are right handed as from polls and threads here on MR most of us righties hold print books as well as out ebook readers in out left hand freeing our right for eating, writing or whatever. Other then that there are no features of the Astak lineup I find compelling and even those are not compelling enough to overcome the recent bad experiences users had with the Pocket Pro reader (the Bebook was plagued with a lot of the same probs as well, since, ummmm, they were the same device...)

But this whole deal is going to be a GREAT thing for both product lines and bringing them together is a wise idea or well...I just feel Astak as an ereader device line was destine to die off in obscurity eventually anyway.

the scroll wheel is nice but it belongs on the LEFT SIDE not the right side since most people are right handed as from polls and threads here on MR most of us righties hold print books as well as out ebook readers in out left hand freeing our right for eating, writing or whatever.

I'm right-handed, and I like it just where it is. I just reach out and flip it with one finger - don't even have to put the fork down...
I'm nor sure how I would hold it so that I could flip it with one finger and still hold on. I just lent it to a friend, so I can't run and try it out. I will try, promise.

I'm right-handed, and I like it just where it is. I just reach out and flip it with one finger - don't even have to put the fork down...
I'm nor sure how I would hold it so that I could flip it with one finger and still hold on. I just lent it to a friend, so I can't run and try it out. I will try, promise.

If you ever used a Sony Clie you would understand how a properly setup scroll wheel works. Astak, well, Netronix whiffed on this one, I promise. Until you get to know the wheel on the left side of the reader, you won't have a way to compare...put it at the same level but on the left side and it's a win completely. Of course it screws the lefties, but, well, who cares about them anyway...hehehehe...